Coma
by Catharsiss-BridgetteHayden
Summary: Draco's coma allows Harry and to come to a better conclusion.
1. Coma

SUMMARY: Harry and Draco are celebrities in America. This was written very fast and just wanted out. It's a happy cry.

WARNINGS: AU, MPREG, SLASH, IMPLIED PAST NON-CON/RAPE, BUT WRITTEN AS CONSIDERATE AND LOVINGLY AS POSSIBLE.

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Four months, five days, and seventeen hours.  
That's how long Draco had been in the coma. That's how long Harry had stood outside the critical unit everyday, waiting for news that he was finally breathing on his own. It was strange to see all of his family here. He'd never met the full extent of Draco's relatives and it was weird seeing all those new people gathering in the hall. Of course the Malfoys had siblings and cousins and friends who cared about Draco. Of course they would converge from all over the world and meet in this American hospital in this crisis. Harry had gotten to know them over the past few months.

The psychic said he'd wake up. Not a psychic, but a woman claiming to speak for Infinite Intelligence. He thought it was a crock, till she picked him out of the audience. He hadn't even wanted to be there, but his friends drug him there anyway. They weren't going to let his birthday pass with him camped at the hospital. He didn't know why not, Draco's had passed exactly that way. Everyone must've thought Harry was crazy for insisting on cupcakes and candles and singing happy birthday around his bed. But they'd put him in a private room and no one knew if his lungs might fail again. Sure enough, his body gave up two days later and he was back in the ICU. Too many wounds to heal. He deserved a party too.

Harry didn't have to remind Blaize and Hermione, Ron and Ginny, that Draco had saved all their lives. Draco had sent the warning. Draco had told everyone to run and led the intruders on a wild goose chase through the Hollywood mansion while authorities were alerted. Everyone got out but Draco. They were just worthless, jealous punks, stoned out of there minds. They'd pleaded insanity, but lawyers assured Harry that it wasn't going to stick. They were bitter people and their sense of injustice took itself out on the most beautiful, the most vibrant, young wealthy celebrity at the party.

The psychic had called Harry to the stage, but he didn't budge at first. Then his friends were pushing him and the audience recognized him, and suddenly everyone was cheering him up.

The lady smiled like a grandmother, only there was an impish gleam in her eye. She could've been laughing at him.

"We've been waiting on you, Mr. Potter. This entire audience has been waiting on you. What would you like to know?"

Nothing, he wanted to tell her. He wasn't in the mood to play games. This might be fun for parties, but he just wanted to get back to Draco. As he stayed silent, pressure built in his chest. He felt like the audience, full of people who knew what was going on, who knew Draco was hurt, who knew the whole story, were somehow pushing him to ask a question.

It came out, "I need to know if my friend will be all right."

Her smile broadened, as if he'd played right into her trap.

"You're an exceptional young man. You have a lot of support with you today. Do you know why they're here?"

"It's my birthday."

"It's more than that. You are worried about your friend. What you don't know, is that your friend has a birthday surprise for you."

"Is he going to be okay?"

"It is our promise to you, that he will be fine. You have worried yourself sick and cursed the individuals who did this. But you and he had no other way to give yourselves this gift."

The audience went super quiet. The woman was toying with him. "What do you mean? Why did he have to suffer like this? He got everyone out of there and he stayed behind. What could possibly be the reason for such senseless cruelty? I'm not here tonight because I'm having fun. I'm here because they say you can give answers. I want answers. Why would God, or whoever, allow that to happen?"

Her smiled subdued, he felt out of respect. But she was still way too happy.

"We want to let you in on the secret so badly, yet you are too angry to hear it. Your friend wanted to give you the greatest gift he could possibly give you. You wanted that too. But what you had in mind, was too overwhelming for the both of you. It is a thing so magnificent, that you both fear the idea of it, yet are drawn to make it happen."

She used the word 'friend' with all the pointed connotations. She seemed to know that he wasn't ready to say what his and Draco's relationship was out loud, even if his friends and even if the audience already knew.

"This room is literally filled with people who love you. We've all seen the news. We've all heard that awful story. And you were escorted here to receive the news you've been waiting on. Your friend will make a strong recovery."

"But why did it happen? Why was it allowed? He's the last person to deserve this. He's the most wonderful person I know."

She practically giggled. "And that's why it happened. He isn't just a young man. Like you, he came to love through drama and life and tears, and to show others how to get past all the pain and return to themselves. The human part of him is in that bed. The part that knew what it was doing when you couldn't save him, is here with us, in this conversation. And because you are asking with all your might, for answers that do not lie in your world, he want's you to know that this was the only way to create what you both so wanted to create."

Harry stared, confused.

"Four months ago, something happened. You took your relationship to the next step."

The audience gasped. Everyone had suspected it for years. She'd just confirmed it.

"Forgive me for taking liberties with your privacy. But this is so momentous, that you are giving me minute by minute permission to tell the world what you and Draco have accomplished. That's how much you love your friend. You both made a decision. Draco had to give himself a strong enough reason to close his eyes for the next four months. Had he not, there would be no gift. There would be no announcement. The world would be the same endless parade that you appreciate, but have grown quite accustomed to and a little bored with. You wanted each other and you both wanted a new, loving adventure."

As she stalled, his chest got tighter and tighter. He found himself anticipating her next words.

"We so want to tell you, but it is not our place to give you news that would better come from Draco. Remember these words, Harry. We promise you, your friend will be fine and none of this happened without his consent, and without a very good reason. People in distress, people who are stalked, celebrities and others, will be taken more seriously because of his sacrifice. But more important than that, you two will have to go forth from that hospital with your love declared openly. In the days to come, you will be given the news that Draco is awake. Be patient. Let him adjust to even greater news. He has been asleep so that neither he, nor you, could overreact to something you both wanted. We promise, something wonderful awaits you. And now to calm your fears, we will tell you that it's yours."

He hadn't really understood what she meant. He was still angry that she couldn't give him proper answers. Some psychic. The audience had applauded as if they trusted her words unconditionally. He'd returned to his seat feeling jilted out of his answers, but retracing her words to understand why her eyes had bored into him so. It was like she was saying one thing, but speaking something else with her eyes.  
The statement, …_ a strong enough reason to close his eyes for the next four months_ … stayed with him. _'It's yours.'_

Now, with Draco having woken up that morning, with his parents, cousins, aunts and uncles rushing in and rejoicing at being told that he's breathing on his own, Harry waited for the real news to hit the fan. He'd been told that morning also. Because Draco was awake, and his tests looked good, Harry could now be told the news that Narcissa had been sitting on for months. He wanted to hate her, but he understood why she'd said nothing. He understood why she'd kept it close to her chest even though it would've meant the world to him. She had something to protect and he loved her for it.

Narcissa knew what she was doing. While everyone else was mourning her son's predicament, she kept faith. She might be cool, but she proved to be a mother first. She knew how long to wait. She knew the Power of Attorney. She could've made the decision to have Draco undergo a certain procedure while it was still legal to do so. She'd kept her mouth shut so that no one could argue against her, and waited. The legal date passed and Draco slept on. Now Harry understood.

Draco was awake. Unspeaking, but alert and responsive enough to hear what his mother was telling him as she sat on his bed and held him. Harry had never seen Narcissa wrap her arms around Draco, but she did now. They were alone in there and he saw by the movement of Draco's chest, through all the tubes and IV's, that Draco was crying. He couldn't see his face behind Narcissa's bent head. Nothing could be heard, but the bed shook. Narcissa's hand caressed along her son's arm and Harry could practically feel the words of comfort she offered him.

Draco had woken up past the legal date. There was nothing else to do. A young man in his circumstance would've had choices four months ago. But not now. He couldn't get rid of the baby now. She'd known that. All this time, she refused to get rid of the only grandchild she had. Even if it meant her son would hate her upon waking. Even if it meant his life couldn't go back to the way it was before. Even if it meant he was forced to bear a child that he had no say in.

But Harry knew. The psychic had warned him. The night before it all happened, he and Draco finally went down a road that committed them to one another. They'd finally had sex. They'd finally allowed their magic to connect in unimaginable ways. It was a big deal and both of them wanted to keep it a secret. Looking back, it shouldn't have been any surprise that such a thing as pregnancy could occur. Magic and passion are risks. Had Draco known the results, had Harry, that news would've scared them so badly that abortion would've been their only rational option. So some part of them must've known, must've planned. Draco had given himself a reason to sleep through his choice, and a way to make sure the baby came. Narcissa had ran with the ball, knowing full well what her silence meant when she was told of her son's condition months ago.

Harry watched them through the window. The news had not been announced to anyone else yet. He'd been allowed to know now that Draco was awake. Draco had to adjust to the news first. That was the right thing to do.

"Then he'll need you," Narcissa had said. She'd grabbed his arm, her grip strong. "I'll break the news. He'll cry. Then he'll need you. That's your child. You get him through this."

Harry had nodded, but he was still in shock. The lady at the show was right. Four months ago, he and Draco would've destroyed something so wonderful without realizing what they had.

Narcissa shook him. "It's yours."

_It's yours_, the psychic's voice repeated. Another confirmation. Had they known, getting rid of an attacker's child would've been a viable excuse. But it was his. He'd gotten to Draco first. None of the others took because he'd gotten there first, the night before.

After watching Draco's body go through hell, Harry now knew what they had, and he thanked God for Narcissa, who had sense enough to see it first. He and Draco were going to have a child. Shock or no, he waited at the window. Only one person at a time was allowed in the room. He waited as Draco adjusted to the news, and tears continued to flow. He waited to be the one to take Narcissa's place at the bed.

End


	2. Going Home

A/N: This is part 2 of the Coma story. A one shot. It's not really a 'chapter 2' but I'm not sure how I want to do that on this platform. There's so much of Draco's recovery that I have not explored. This is more of a summary, to satisfy the curiosity of what happened next. For now, I'll leave it right here.

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It was supposed to be a secret, the discharge date of Draco Malfoy from California's Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Since his awakening, a grueling six months of his recovery had been bootlegged onto the internet. His files compromised, and his security upgraded. It was no surprise to Harry that someone had leaked the date, just as the birth of their daughter had also made its way into the rumor mill without their permission. No one was really that upset about it. With miracles burgeoning in their lives, they couldn't fight their own happiness. They deserved this joy, and if the world wanted to celebrate with them, they'd just have trust whatever power had gotten them through this. They had to trust that fate was on their side.

Draco had learned to walk again, with the internet watching. Due to all the support and overwhelming love, they'd bit the bullet and allowed his ultrasounds to be filmed. The same technology that spent fifteen years acclimating the world to the existence of wizards and their history, prepared the most obstinate minds to accept and respect a male's pregnancy. It was not entirely like a female's, but the boys came from a culture that demanded every bit as much integrity, as their own society attempted to protect them through it.

Harry and Draco tried to be careful, tried not to speak to journalists too much. But they were so happy they didn't really want to keep it to themselves. Secrets couldn't exist in that atmosphere of eagerness and enthusiasm, and recovery. They knew they had to be private and responsible, for their safety and the child's. But they seemed to have the approval of the world, to celebrate this time in their lives openly.

All those months ago, were so horrible, so compelling, that even the most homophobic critics, had a change of heart. Whatever these two men were, they did not deserve that. They did not deserve an attack that had left one running back into the mansion for the other. Followed by cameras, wrestled to the ground by police, and screaming as they wheeled out the other.

That day, live footage did not conceal the face of Draco Malfoy, or even attempt to pixilate his covered body and the red life that bled onto white, sterile sheets as they loaded him into the ambulance. The world stopped to take notice of what was going on. All of this took place six hours after Draco's 911 call had been issued.

From Harry's first scream, the nation was hooked on the drama that took months to unfold. Millions swallowed their guilt, for using these celebrities' real life ordeals as their excuse to let their hearts open. Detractors shamed the phenomena as 'reality tv' and ostracized those entertained by the media focus on the hardship of the two outed celebrities. Others called it a most needed excuse to let themselves love. They atoned for their voyeurism by praying for the boys and watching with sincere respect. The public could not shut off their televisions, they could not put down their devices. Footage kept coming, updates, and finally the news that Draco had awakened from his coma.

Billions of donations were made in Harry's and Draco's name. The Pope visited Draco's bedside, and tearful Neo-Nazis called conferences to publicly swear off hate. NASA recorded the planet's electromagnetic reading as having gone up three vibrational units. A thing speculated to have not happened since the astronomical theorization and event of the Bethlehem comet, based on ancient writings.

The day that Draco walked out of the hospital, surrounded by family and cameras, Beverly Boulevard was shut down to allow for a police escort to shuttle him and Harry to the private estate purchased by the Malfoy family. Purchased, to be near their son during his long recovery.

Spectators lined the roadside as if it were a royal marriage, or a presidential motorcade. Not wanting to be embarrassed as the world watched American manners unfold, the Federal Government issued twenty Secret Service limos to make sure the boys got to their destination unharmed and honored. If this is what the country came out in droves for, won over by the attention to the boys' long journey, then it would be supported.

Draco still had medical issues that forbid him to flay, so everyone knew that he and Harry would be living in America for some time. Reality shows clamored to sign them. There was a certain amount of pride taken in the knowledge that the child of this 'wizard couple' would be born on American soil. Americans didn't get a lot right, politically, so this was starting to mean something on the World Stage. Propagandist's used it shamelessly. To Harry and Draco, and the Malfoy family, it was simply what had to be done.

They became America's Royalty. Adopted and beloved. It was Harry who stood outside the Malfoy gates and tried to thank the public for their support. His rehearsed speech was drowned out by shouts for him to make a public proposal to Draco Malfoy. He could only lower his eyes, blush, and make noncommittal comments. They'd all seen his devotion to Draco unfold over months, there was no point in denying what everyone knew by now.

When fans demanded to know if the rumors of a baby were true, it was harder to get away without commenting. He compromised, knowing Draco was watching the television and weighing how he handled the situation, along with public response. It was Draco who had to risk going out in public again, not Harry. "Let's just say that if such a thing were true, I could not reveal it, for the sake of protecting my child. Not everyone is our friend, but I'm grateful to those of you who let Draco and I live in peace."

Those who listened for it, heard the answer in his words and relished his generosity. He could've said no. He could've ended the affair with their fascination. He'd admitted as much, and remained loyal to Draco's privacy at the same time. Hearts swelled.

Draco was less inclined to speak with the public. He always smiled, always found something polite to say when cornered by journalists, but remained tight-lipped on his status. Unlike Harry, he denied the pregnancy rumors and laughed them off, his bright smile never confirming whether he was joking or not. Naive photographers kept camera's aimed at his abdomen. Wizard photographers aimed their lenses at the pale skin covering his jugular. If there was a baby, that vein would become more and more prominent. A wizard's pregnancy required a higher blood volume to support two lives. His body had to compensate for not being female, and not having the extra layers and channels to boost nutrients to the fetus. For months, the oversized shirts he wore, Harry's shirts, hiding his flat stomach and narrow hips, hypnotized a nation into seeing something that wasn't there. Unlike a woman's pregnancy, he lost weight instead of gained. There were setbacks, and publicized trips to the Emergency Room, but he managed to hold himself together.

A team of doctors, international specialists who knew his story, had banded to together to making sure he survived the birth. Celebrity aside, the Institute for Medical Research had convinced him and Harry that their pregnancy was important to the world for many reasons.

"Wizards may know all about this, but traditional medicine has never seen this before. Please allow us to document as much as we can and to learn from it. In return, you will receive the most expert assistance we have available. We have specialists on every continent, in every culture. We're asking for a lifetime commitment to learning. You and your family will never have to pay for medical help ever again. We can arrange it. Our data will be confidential, respectful, and as unobtrusive into your lives as possible. All that we ask, is that you allow us to continue to follow your medical journey. We want to be in the delivery room, but we will respect your privacy if you're not up to that. Take your time, think about it. If this pregnancy is possible, we believe there will come a day when this will happen to more males. With your help, especially in light of your ordeal, we will be in a position to help other men in this circumstance."

Draco didn't need heavy decisions like that. When everything was said and done, he felt alone. Even with Harry's arms around him, even with Harry's kisses and assurances that everything was going to be okay. His body just felt weird. That little thing moved inside of him and he couldn't wrap his mind around why this was all happening to him. Harry was strangely accepting of all this. Everyone seemed to accept it, even his father, and that mad Draco even more uncomfortable. It was like they were feeding him drugs and insisting life was fine, when he'd survived the worst attack of his life and knew that it wasn't. It took Harry reminding him that he'd been asleep while every who loved him didn't know if he would ever wake up or not.

"I know we're acting strange to you, but you weren't there. You weren't scared out of your mind that you'd never wake up. You slept through the horror of not knowing. If all of this is the price paid to get you back, your family is all for it. I'm all for it. Stop worrying, I'm going to take care of you. All of this attention will go away eventually. We'll go back to England. We'll get a place far from everyone and raise our family. I promise this is all going to be okay. We've survived the worst of it."

Draco missed his old life, and sometimes, when he thought the mansion was empty, he curled up on the sofa and cried. Security cameras fed the footage into a medical database. Draco had no idea that one day, medical students would be privileged to witness his emotional release as he ushered the age of male pregnancy into the Western world. Cyber hackers got to the footage sooner, leaving social media to speculate on his public smiles and his private struggle.

When Harry did propose, in the privacy of their home, Draco did not say yes. He did not want Harry to marry him just because of the child. "You're not to feel trapped by this, and I'm too off balance to be sure of any answer that I might give you. Don't ask me that. Not now."

Harry was not discouraged. He took on the herculean task of making Draco happy again. In his mind, he was already committed to Draco and his daughter. Nothing was going to change that, not even Draco's battle with depression. If Draco cried, he wanted to be there to hold him. If Draco raged and screamed, he wanted to be there to take the abuse. He wasn't going anywhere, and Draco's mother, Narcissal, kept coaching Harry that that was all Draco needed to see.

"He thinks he's trapping you. He thinks you're staying with him out some outdated chivalry. Out of pity. When he realizes you're staying because you want him, not just your child, he'll come around. Right now he feels so guilty, like he's holding you back, yet he's too damaged to give you anything in return."

"But he's giving me everything."

"Give him time to figure it out. He's only had a few months to learn to walk again, deal with his injuries, that whole night, and learning that he has no choice but to have a baby. If he's distant, he has a right to be. We're lucky he's talking to us at all. And I don't know about you, but I'd rather have a fake smile from him, than none at all. It means he's trying."

Her comfort went a long way. It got them through. Draco's due date came and went. As it turned out, they did need a team of international doctors. Mediwizards were not prepared for the challenges Draco's injuries held. It took all of them to get the child out of him safely, without compromising one life or the other. Harry had spent the night holding his breath. After the first flatline, they'd forcibly removed Harry from the room. They couldn't figure out why the infant's heartbeat faltered the longer Draco's contractions were allowed to build to their peak. The scientists who'd documented the changes that would allow Draco's body to deliver, had no answers at to why there was so much difficulty, and so much pain. In the end, Harry was sent to watch from the theater window, along with invited specialists from all over the world, as the team determined too late, to take the baby by means of a Cesarean delivery.

Standing beside Mr. Malfoy, who put his arm around Harry, he watched his daughter come into the world.

So what, if the news had gotten out. So what if the parking garage was full of reporters, flashing cameras, and well-wishing fans. Draco had stopped bitching about having to endure a wheelchair. Draco was smiling. He was laughing. He was alive. And even better, he was holding the most amazing thing in the world. Five pounds, two ounces, she'd packed a lot of trouble into that tiny, trembling presence of hers. This was not a day for being upset that their getaway had been discovered. This was not a day for letting anything take away from her.

Lucius himself held the car door open as Harry helped Draco to his feet. Draco never let go of the baby, not even when it seemed practical to do so. Hospital security had been called to assist, keeping the crowd at a distance until Draco was safely in the car. People gasped, to see him uncover the baby's face and deliberately allow a few seconds for photos. To Harry, the sight brought a fountain of relief. Up until now, Draco had said all the things he was supposed to say, to make everyone think he was going to be all right. His face had been an emotionless mask, indecipherable when he gazed at the baby. Harry realized that it was like Narcissa's graceful silence. Easily mistaken for cold, when it was just a survival mechanism. All mothers must have it, he realized.

At the time, Draco's brain was still in shock, still wondering if everything was going to be okay. Still wondering, like the rest of them, how something so fantastic could come to them in the first place.

"Harry, why did it take this, to make me see this is what I wanted? Why couldn't I simply know, before any of that ever happened?"

Sitting on the hospital bed, Harry had taken his hand. "Because we don't let ourselves believe this kind of happiness is possible. We don't allow it, not in a world where it doesn't seem to be available to others. We say it's not real. Even wizards say it's a silly fairy tale. When you slept, I asked myself that question every day, and now I have my answer. You wouldn't let yourself have her, unless you could justify it. We would've talked ourselves into an abortion, trying to protect some sense of masculinity or even our independence. We were still holding onto shit like that. That night was so terrible, that it destroyed that way of thinking for us, forever. We had to let those ideas die, so that she could be born. I know it's too much to ask you to be suddenly happy, with all this on you, but I am. Please, love her too. Please give her a chance. I am totally in love with her right now and I have no problem saying that I want you both. I just need to believe that you're going to catch up with me."

Draco's tears had come from nowhere. There'd been no warning that he was suddenly going to let Harry see him feel. He'd been hiding that, pretending to be strong for his family, for months. Respectfully, Harry waited in silence as shudders took Draco's voice and would not let him speak. His face crumbled on sobs that had been building since the night of the attack, and were just now finding an acceptable form of release. Harry couldn't help him. It was like seeing his daughter take her first gulp of air, and the resulting tiny scream that squeaked out into the room. He couldn't breathe for her, she had to do it on her own. And what a beautiful, strong cry it grew into. Draco had to clear his emotions. He had to clear the unheard screams. He had to push out the fear of what had been happening to his body all this time. Especially since it had resulted, not in demons, but in angels. He had been holding his breath the whole time. And now he knew, he was going to be okay.

The most beautiful sight in the parking garage, wasn't the baby. It was the way Draco looked at their daughter, and showed her off to the cameras and the people. He might one day regret allowing boundaries to slip, and inviting the public so close to his happiness, but today was not that day. Today, he wasn't afraid for the first time in a long time. And that meant more to Harry than anything. Draco's smile was real and bright, and cleansed of all pain. His joy even brighter. Harry let him wave to the crowd for exactly five minutes before his protective instincts took over and he gently ushered Draco into the limo. He would have the glossy magazine photos, the world over, to prove that Draco's glow was real, and that their lives were going to be great.

End

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Top stories from this writer: Unbearable series


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